A New Beginning
by lcadiza
Summary: Teddy's marriage marks a new beginning for the entire family. Each of the Duncan kids struggle to find their places in life while Bob and Amy try to come to terms with getting older. A few surprises are in store along the way. T to be safe.
1. Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

* * *

"I can't even believe this," Bob Duncan said incredulously. He sat in a long wooden pew in the back of the church, his wife Amy grasping his hand tightly. "My little girl, getting married!" He was smiling, but he felt the familiar pain in his chest he'd been feeling a lot lately. It wasn't from heart issues, because he'd already been to the doctor to check; it was just emotion and pride and pure happiness at the promising new life his oldest daughter had ahead of her.

Together Bob and Amy watched the wedding party's last minute rehearsal. Teddy, only twenty seven years old, was standing at the altar grasping Spencer's hands, laughing and beaming. Teddy and Spencer had been dating steadily ever since the end of their junior year in high school. Despite the brief time they weren't together due to Spencer's severely misguided attempt to date both Teddy and Skylar at the same time, they've been inseparable for years.

Amy felt a tear drip down her cheek as she watched them go over exactly what tomorrow's ceremony would entail. Ivy, Charlie, and Skylar, Teddy's bridesmaids, stood beside her looking just as thrilled. PJ, Gabe, and little Toby stood to Spencer's left, as they were his groomsmen.

Amy swiped at the tear with her thumb. "Oh god, look at me," she laughed as she fumbled through her purse for her compact. "It's not even the actual wedding and I'm already a mess!"

Bob soothingly rubbed Amy's back as she fixed her makeup. "Don't worry honey, I'm sure you can muster up enough tears tomorrow to cry at the real thing too," Bob joked, though he knew he would be a wreck at the ceremony as well. Amy swatted at his shoulder with a playful scowl.

"Teddy's getting married," Amy said softly, replacing her purse near her feet. When she returned upright to look at her daughter, the whole party was heading back down the aisle. Teddy's bright smile was rivaled only by Spencer's. Bob wholeheartedly appreciated the fact that Spencer knew just how lucky he was to be marrying Teddy.

"We're all set for tomorrow," Teddy said happily. "It's my last night as an unmarried woman, so ladies, want to go do something wild?"

Everyone laughed except Spencer, who simply looked at her like he hadn't heard a word she'd said. "All joking aside," he began, "We have a rehearsal dinner to get to folks!"

* * *

"What a long day," Teddy sighed as she stepped out of her way too-high but totally adorable satin heels. "And tomorrow will be even longer," she added.

Charlie helped her older sister unzip the back of her white rehearsal dress. "But it's your wedding! It's supposed to be the most magical day of your entire life," Charlie turned away as Teddy took off the dress and slipped into sweatpants and a tshirt.

"And it will be," Teddy agreed, "but it's all just been so much work. As much as I love Spencer and as amazing as I know tomorrow will be, I just want it all to be over with so I can relax on the beaches of Tahiti," she said dreamily as she sunk herself onto Charlie's bed. Her mind wandered to warmth and sand and blue skies and clear water.

Charlie joined her sister on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was great to have her big sister back home for a while. It's been such a long time since Teddy, Gabe, and PJ lived under one roof.

"Teddy, did I ever thank you?" Charlie asked quietly, twirling a long blonde lock of hair around her freshly painted finger. Teddy propped herself up on her elbow and stared at her baby sister. Teddy was amazed at how grown up Charlie looked. If she didn't know any better, Teddy would easily place Charlie at sixteen instead of her innocent age of thirteen.

Teddy rubbed at a smudge of Charlie's mascara with her thumb. "Thank me for what?"

"For making those video diaries for me. I loved them," Charlie smiled, thinking back to last Christmas when Teddy gave them to her. Teddy and Spencer and come home to join the rest of the Duncans for the holiday. On Christmas morning the thing that caught Charlie's eye the most was a neat little package wrapped in shiny silver paper and tied with a bright pink bow. Inside were stacks and stacks of labeled DVDs containing years of footage Teddy lovingly put together for her.

"You did thank me," Teddy told her, pulling Charlie into a hug. "But do you want to know a secret?" Charlie nodded eagerly. "Looking back on it, I think those videos did more for me than for you," Teddy continued. "They were an outlet for me. I was able to talk to you in ways that you couldn't have understood at the time because you were so little," Teddy said giving her a squeeze.

Charlie understood perfectly what her sister meant. Teddy wanted to bond with her even though the large age gap between them didn't allow it. Charlie felt almost the same with Toby. But for them, it wasn't so much the age as the complete lack of compatibility.

The Duncan sisters fell asleep in Charlie's bed, holding each other close. This is what home felt like.

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**Short chapter, but it's mostly an introduction. This is my first story under my new account. I was a member here years ago, but I'm no longer able to access that account. I was formerly sunshinexxohh, in case any of you happen to remember any of my old stories :)** **But hey, that's beside the point. I'd love some reviews! I have some things up my sleeve for this story, so check back often if you liked it.**

**Thanks!**


	2. The Wedding

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

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The morning sunlight filtered through the dusty blinds in PJ's childhood bedroom. He blinked beneath his eyelids, slowly regaining consciousness. Stretching, PJ sat up in his too-small bed. Just after high school graduation PJ had a freak growth spurt. He was now pushing six feet and his old twin-sized bed could barely accommodate him.

PJ looked around the room that he shared with Gabe, who was still sleeping like a log. It hadn't changed much since PJ moved out, mostly because when he moved out Gabe was still living in it. Gabe had put on this whole act of being so thrilled that PJ moved out and getting his own room, but PJ knew Gabe would miss him.

Pulling on a tshirt from the floor, PJ stumbled out of bed, sleep still fogging his head. He made sure to be quiet as he opened the bedroom door and slipped into the hallway. He could already hear a commotion downstairs though it was just after six in the morning according to the clock at the end of the hall.

"It's alright Teddy," PJ heard Amy saying as he walked down the stairs. "Don't stress out about it, honey. This is your day! Just relax, and we'll figure everything out."

Teddy sat on the couch, steaming coffee mug in hand, a slightly panicked look on her face. Amy and Ivy were pulling Teddy's pure white dress out of its stiff plastic hanging bag. PJ was still at least ten feet away but even he could see the ugly gray stain on the hem.

"I'm trying really hard not to freak out here," Teddy said, her voice wavering, "but my wedding is in seven hours!"

Amy and Ivy exchanged a worried glance and spread the dress out on one of the chairs. Ivy ran her fingers over the gray spot, which was at least six inches big. As PJ approached the couch from behind, he heard Teddy take a sharp breath and let it out as a kind of whimper. PJ sat down next to Teddy and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, though she barely noticed. He wanted to comfort her. He knew this day was important to his little sister, so it was important to him too.

Amy stepped back from the dress and placed her hands on her hips. "I know there's got to be something we can do to fix this," she said, deep in thought. Ivy pulled the hem up closer so she could get a better look. Suddenly Amy gasped. "PJ!"

PJ jumped, unaware that anyone had noticed he'd entered the room. "What?" Teddy furrowed her brow watching her mother ransack the living room, tossing throw pillows aside, obviously looking for something.

Amy got down on the floor and reached under the coffee table. She pulled out her purse and rifled through it quickly. "Here," she tossed a ten dollar bill at PJ who grasped at it as it floated through the air. "Go to the drugstore and pick up a box of white chalk," Amy ordered. PJ and Teddy stared at her blankly. "Now!"

"Uhh, okay," PJ got off the couch and ran a hand through his short messy hair. "I don't really see what drawing on her dress will do..." Teddy sighed nervously, her mind racing.

"The white chalk will hide the stain," Ivy explained. "It won't be perfect but it'll have to do."

PJ nodded and headed toward the door. "Then I'll be back soon."

Amy and Ivy joined Teddy on the couch, trying to calm her down. "Everything is going to be okay, sweetie," Amy promised. "Why don't you go take a shower so we can all head to the hairdresser?" Teddy nodded and rose, though she looked sick to her stomach.

"I'll go wake Charlie and Skylar," Ivy offered. She took the stairs two at a time, running the plan of action through her mind. Once all the girls were ready, they were driving to the salon to get their hair and makeup done. Bob and the boys would stay at home getting ready, their suits having been picked up yesterday. Once they were dressed, they would take Teddy's dress and drive to the church. Ivy's mom will already be there with Spencer's parents, and together with the Duncan men they will make sure everything is set up and ready to go.

Ivy knocked softly on the door to Charlie's bedroom. She pushed it open slightly, peeking inside. Charlie was sprawled lengthwise across her twin-sized bed, her feet and head dangling off the sides. "Girl, how is that comfortable?" Ivy whispered. She rubbed Charlie's shoulder gently. After a minute Charlie stirred awake and smiled up at Ivy.

"Wedding day," Charlie said groggily. "My sister's getting married!" She perked up now and began to stretch.

"We're going to the salon soon so get ready quick, okay?" Ivy said over her shoulder as she left the room. Ivy knocked on the door of the guest bedroom, which Skylar was sleeping in.

Skylar was already awake, making the bed neatly, pulling the soft blue bedspread up to the pillows. "Hey Ivy," Skylar said brightly. "Can you believe it's the big day already?"

Ivy leaned against the door frame. "No, I really can't. Teddy and Spencer getting married. I never would have imagined this when we were back in high school and Spencer was dating you and Teddy at the same time," Ivy mused. "I'm glad they worked it out though. Are you okay with all of this?"

Skylar tilted her head a little a gave Ivy a small smile. "Of course I'm okay with it. Spencer and Teddy belong together." She finished smoothing out the bedspread and sat on the edge primly, her long legs crossed at the ankle. "I"m happy for them."

After studying Skylar's face for a second, Ivy excused herself and headed back downstairs. Spencer kept her smile on for a moment longer before finally letting it fall. She hadn't lied to Ivy; she really was happy for Teddy and Spencer. She just felt left out in a way. Teddy was getting married, she blew her relationship with PJ when she went to New York. Ivy was happily single. Even Gabe was in a steady relationship. Everyone was just where they wanted to be in life. Except for Skylar.

* * *

"You look gorgeous!" Amy breathed, holding back tears. The women had just helped Teddy into her dress and were admiring the final put-together bride. Charlie, Ivy, and Skylar all chirped their agreement, simply in awe of how beautiful their friend and sister was.

Teddy's dress was a flowy strapless A-line gown with ruching on the bodice and a small line of flower rosettes under the bust. Her dark blonde hair was pulled away from her face with wisps of hair framing her face.

"Girl, I'd marry you!" Ivy laughed, leaning in to give Teddy a hug.

"Thanks guys," Teddy smiled. She let out a breath slowly, smoothing her dress with her hands. "This is it. This is really it. I'm getting married today!" Teddy squealed, a happy tear rolling down her cheek.

Charlie reached for Teddy's makeup kit and did a quick touch up of her sister's running eyeliner. Ivy and Skylar helped Teddy secure her veil and Amy lifted the hem of the dress to inspect the chalk covered stain.

"You can't even tell," Amy said, relieved. She was glad that she was able to fix this for Teddy; with all the things that will happen in Teddy's life that Amy won't be able to do anything about, it was comforting to know that sometimes she can still help.

There was a knock at the door. "Teddy, honey, can I come in?" Bob stuck his head in the small room and nearly tripped over himself. He was too busy staring at Teddy to watch where he was walking. "Oh my... You're so beautiful, sweetie!" Bob reached out for Teddy, pulling her into a suffocating hug.

"Watch the makeup!" Charlie warned.

"I'm so proud of you," Bob said softly. "So very proud of my little girl."

A few moments later Mary Lou entered, saying they were getting ready to start. The bridesmaids filed out of the room, awaiting their groomsmen escorts to take them into the cathedral. Bob and Amy stayed behind, getting one last look at their daughter before she became a married woman.

"Well, I'll head inside now," Amy said, planting a kiss on Teddy's cheek. "Don't trip!"

"Mom!" Teddy scowled. "_So _not what I want to be thinking about right now!" Bob linked arms with Teddy, placing his other hand over hers. "Daddy," Teddy began timidly, "I don't want everything to change."

Bob felt his heart sink as he listened to his oldest daughter confide in him. Tears welled behind his eyes. "Teddy, this is going to be the greatest moment of your life," Bob said reassuringly. "Sure, things will change, but they'll change for the better. You're gaining a whole new family and soon you'll start one of your own."

A man in a gray suit who Teddy recognized as one of Spencer's uncles came in and told them it was time. Teddy inhaled sharply, her stomach falling to her knees. Teddy and Bob heard the wedding march begin to play and they stood outside the double doors leading into the cathedral.

"Just promise me," Teddy whispered, "that I'll always be able to come back." The double doors were opened by someone on the inside, revealing the aisle dotted with yellow rose petals and pews full of relatives and friends.

Bob gave Teddy's arm a light squeeze and they began to walk down the aisle. "I promise, Teddy."

Teddy locked eyes with Spencer. She heard her dad's promise and smiled at the man she's loved for years, the man who was waiting at the end of the aisle to dive with her into the unknown.

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**I wanted to work Gabe into this chapter a little, but I didn't get around to it. In the next few chapters I'll go more in depth into what's been going on with all the characters in the past years. Hope you liked it!**


	3. The Reception

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

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"What can I get you, sir?" The bartender asked as he wiped out a crystal wine glass with a blue rag. Per Teddy's request, the two bartenders at her wedding reception had to be dressed in the wedding colors, yellow and peach. Under his tan sports jacket the bartender was wearing a peach shirt with a yellow tie. Gabe noted that the color choice was extremely unfortunate for this man, whose ruddy red cheeks did not play them off well at all.

Gabe quickly glanced over the short selection of drinks available and chose a mixed drink, something with a silly name but contained vodka, so he was content. He leaned against the bar while he was waiting for his drink, watching the events of the day unfold.

At a long, elegant table on a platform in the back of the room Teddy and Spencer sat looking ridiculously happy. They were holding hands and grinning nonstop while they chatted to people who stopped by to give them their congratulations. Every so often Teddy would watch Spencer intently as he spoke to some anonymous relative about their future plans. Teddy's eyes sparkled serenely and Gabe could tell that when this happened, Teddy thought she and Spencer were the only people in the room. A shiver went through Gabe as he thought about how much he would love it if Amanda still looked at him like that.

Amanda. Gabe shook his head as he reached for the drink the bartender held out to him. He raised it to his lips and took a long swig that nearly emptied the glass. Amanda Collins, his high school sweetheart. She was a lifetime of miles away in Kenya doing charity work that would greatly improve the quality of life for an impoverished tribe. Gabe was proud of her, but ever since she left three months ago he couldn't help feeling like he was unimportant to her.

When she left their relationship wasn't on the best of terms. The morning Gabe dropped her off at the airport he felt that his goodbye was strained and insincere. Now, he'd give anything to go back to that morning and apologize for the stupid incident that had worn their bond a few weeks earlier.

"Gabe!"

Above the music Gabe heard Charlie calling his name from the center of the dance floor. He finished off his drink and set it down on the bar. Charlie was waving him over as she moved with the music almost effortlessly, something Gabe admired about his little sister. She's always been a gifted dancer and it's something none of the other Duncans can do. Gabe grinned and joined Charlie, glad to have something to take his mind off of Amanda.

* * *

PJ sat at a table near the bar, watching Charlie attempt to teach Gabe how to keep time with the song that was playing. PJ shook his head with a chuckle. Gabe was clumsy on his feet but Charlie didn't mind. She grabbed Gabe's hands and moved them rhythmically, instructing him to watch her feet and copy her moves.

Two years ago the Duncan family had had a scare with Gabe and Charlie. It was a winter night and the Colorado roads were covered with black ice and slippery snow. Amy was working a night shift and Bob was out of town for a convention so Gabe had come over to watch Charlie and little Toby. Charlie's dance class ran late and her usual carpool didn't have time to drop her off, so Gabe went to pick her up. He left Toby with Mrs. Dabney and slowly navigated the treacherous roads to the community center.

They were only three blocks from home when a reckless driver ran a stop sign and slid across the ice right into Gabe's car. The car spun around a few times before flying across a patch of ice and into a tree.

PJ shuddered, remembering how scary it was to get a call from his mom at eleven at night saying that she had just admitted two of his siblings to the emergency room. Charlie had three cracked ribs, a broken leg and a mild concussion. Gabe broke both arms and received a four inch gash across his left cheek. Charlie was devastated that she couldn't go to dance class for almost five months while she healed.

The only good thing that came from their accident was their stronger sense of connection. Gabe and Charlie grew closer from the shared experience, though Gabe carried around a huge amount of guilt for a long time. He'd broken his baby sister. It took a few months before Charlie could convince him that she didn't blame him for the actions of the other driver.

After watching them laugh together for a moment longer, PJ stood up and surveyed the dance floor. Bob and Amy were chatting happily and dancing with Spencer's parents near the platform where Teddy and Spencer sat. Ivy, drink in hand, danced her way across across the floor, stopping to talk with just about everyone. Toby formed a group with half a dozen other kids, most of whom were Spencer's cousins. The kids were laughing together and dancing wildly.

Skylar sat alone at a table, a small smile frozen on her pink lips. PJ picked up his water glass and went over to join her. "Hey Skylar," he said cheerfully as he sat down.

She looked up, startled. "Oh, hey PJ," she replied, tucking her shiny dark hair behind her ears. "Great reception, right?" She turned her attention back to the dance floor where Teddy and Spencer had just begun to slow dance.

PJ noticed the sadness in her voice and instinctively put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little but then relaxed into PJ's touch. "What do you say we get out of here?" he whispered into her ear. Skylar's eyes brightened and she nodded, reaching for his hand as he led her outside.

* * *

"Oh, I'm getting too old for this," Bob groaned as he settled himself into a chair. Amy laughed as she pulled off her high heels and sat down next to him. She reached for the glass of water she had abandoned an hour ago when they went to dance with Ed and Carol, Spencer's parents.

"You know, we are getting old," Amy agreed, scrunching up her nose. "Our oldest kid is almost thirty and our oldest daughter just got married today. Honey, I think it's safe to say we're over the hill."

Bob rested his head in his hands, his mind racing. He couldn't believe where all the time had gone. One day he and Amy were dancing at their wedding reception, their futures wide open, and the next day it _is _the future and they're dancing at their daughter's wedding reception. "How did we get here?" Bob wondered aloud, rubbing his temples.

"Time flies when you're having fun," Amy smiled, patting her husband on the back. "Cheer up, Bob, we're supposed to be happy. Our daughter just got married!"

Bob smiled and lifted his head. "You're right, honey. Today is a day of celebration!" He stood up and headed to the bar.

* * *

Teddy lay her head on Spencer's shoulder, her waist in his arms as they danced together, oblivious to the rest of the world. They circled the same spot on the floor, dreamy smiles plastered on both of their faces. She breathed in his familiar sent, cotton and just a hint of pine trees.

"You're my husband now," Teddy whispered to him, pulling him closer. She loved the sound of that. _Husband._

"You bet I am, babe," Spencer told her, bringing his lips to her forehead for a light kiss. "And I'm excited for us to really start our lives together. I know we've kind of already started it, but now it's official."

Butterflies erupted in Teddy's stomach as he said that. The fact that he was as in love with her as she was with him was enough to send her heart soaring.

Right after high school graduation Teddy and Spencer had moved to Seattle to pursue their careers. Teddy went to a local university while working a starting-level assistant's job at the news station. Three promotions later, Teddy is next in line to take over the retiring co-anchor's job when she returns from her honeymoon. Spencer attended community college and got his degree in business management and is now pretty high up in his uncle's PR firm.

Teddy thought about how far they made it together without being married. Now, she could hardly wait to see how far they could go together with an even stronger bond.

Suddenly, the metallic sound of spoons clinking against drinking glasses filled the room, causing the newlyweds to break apart in laughter. Spencer grabbed Teddy's hand and pulled her back toward him. "Shall we give the people what they want, Mrs. Walsh?"

"Come here, handsome," Teddy said playfully, grabbing him by his tie and guiding his lips to hers.

* * *

"It's chilly out here," Skylar commented, rubbing her hands over her arms briskly. PJ closed the back door behind them with a thud and took off his sports jacket, laying it over Skylar's shoulders. "Thanks," she said shyly, pulling it tight around herself.

It was a beautiful night. At the end of May, the weather usually wavers between warm and cool unpredictably. Tonight was cooler, but the sky was gorgeous enough to make up for it. The sun had dipped down almost completely under the horizon, but strips of orange-pink sky were painted between the ground and the dark, starry view overhead.

PJ linked elbows with Skylar and they walked a few feet toward a wooden bench that overlooked a pond. They sat silently for a few moments, watching a beautiful snowy white swan float around gracefully.

"Are you happy?" PJ asked quietly, careful not to have his eyes stray from the swan.

"In what way?"

"In the simple, all-encompassing way. Happiness is kind of self explanatory," he said with a short laugh.

Skylar sighed, twirling her hair between her fingers. "I suppose I'm happy," she responded carefully. "I'm very lucky to be where I am in life."

PJ didn't say anything, but he turned to look at her in the waning light. She glanced at him quickly, worried her answer hadn't satisfied him. He just looked at her, as if expecting her to expand upon her response.

She drew in a breath. "I'm successful in my job. I have a wonderful family. I'm doing well financially."

"Skylar, all that doesn't mean happiness," PJ said gently, brushing an eyelash from her cheek. "If you have to rack your brain for something to be happy about, that's not happiness."

Skylar turned back toward the swan, watching it flap its wings twice before settling back into the water. A lone baby duck appeared at the edge of the pond, swimming slowly toward the large white bird. The baby duck was all alone; Skylar searched for its mother but she was nowhere to be found. As the baby approached the swan, the swan moved away, a loud honk emitting from its beak. The baby stopped swimming and sat for a moment, contemplating his next move.

"I think I'm the swan," Skylar blurted before she could second guess her thought. PJ furrowed his brow a little but the easy expression in his eyes prodded Skylar to keep speaking. "I don't know how to love. The baby duck just wanted to join him, but he scared it away." PJ understood where she was going with this and reached for her hand. "I screwed everything up in New York, PJ," she continued, her eyes darkening with tears. "You, the baby duck, came to me, the swan, and I pushed you away."

"Oh, Skylar," PJ whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "We were just kids. None of that matters anymore. That was so long ago."

"You don't think we had anything real?" she asked, her heart sinking. All these years she's harbored a deep love for PJ, and now it felt like he finally woke her from her daydream. She didn't like that feeling.

PJ shifted, frustrated with himself for not being able to say what he means. "No, Skylar, I mean, we were just kids when we broke up in New York. What else could we have done? It was really our only option." He stroked her hand with his thumb. "It's like I said back then: If you love someone, you have to set them free. Or something like that."  
Skylar smiled. "Something like that," she agreed.

"And look," PJ continued, "here we both are. Together again after all these years." He stood up from the bench and pulled her to her feet. She folded into his arms, still a perfect fit. "You know, I have to believe that there is a reason we're both single at this exact moment in time."

Skylar lifted her head from PJ's shoulder and looked up at him with her big brown eyes, the ones that made PJ's heart melt all those years ago. "You might be right," she whispered.

He leaned forward, his lips slightly parted. He got so close to kissing her, but he pulled away at the last second, teasing her. Skylar pouted involuntarily, surprising herself. PJ smiled and unexpectedly kissed her on the cheek.

"I love where my life is going right now," PJ said, staring into Skylar's eyes. "My music career is going really well. I mean, I won't be selling out gigantic stadiums any time soon, or ever, but I enjoy what I do. Can you say the same?"

Skylar looked away for a moment, her mind racing. She thought of her work as a paralegal, how draining it was on a day to day basis. She was constantly being pushed around by lawyers at the firm, asking her why she couldn't be a _real _lawyer. The money was surprisingly sufficient, and that was the only thing that kept her going to work every day.

"I didn't think you could," PJ said softly, his lips just inches from her ear. "But I want you to."

* * *

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter! So I hope you enjoy reading it :)**


	4. The Honeymoon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

* * *

Tahiti was everything Teddy hoped it would be. The air was warm but not humid, which would have ruined everything, in Teddy's mind at least. The sand was almost pure white and the water was a beautiful, clear blue. Schools of tropical fish swam close to the shore, as if they were trying to get better looks at the endless line of tourists in ill-fitting swimwear waiting their turns to be taught how to snorkel by a bored college student for an astronomical price.

Teddy and Spencer didn't see much outside of their honeymoon suite, though. It was the first time they had ever slept together, something Teddy was sure most of her friends and family would be surprised to learn. With her white wedding gown draped across the back of the loveseat, Teddy and Spencer sealed their marriage with passion that only true love could create.

"Spence," Teddy whispered as they lay next to each other in the suite's king-sized bed. She traced patterns up and down his arm, her legs wrapped around his and tangled in a mess of cotton sheets. It was two days after the wedding and they had spent much of the last forty eight hours in bed.

Spencer's eyes opened slowly. He'd been sleeping soundly for almost an hour; Teddy had been watching his chest rise and fall with the rhythm of his deep breathing. "Babe?" he responded in a husky, sleepy voice, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"Nothing," Teddy said softly, bringing herself closer to him. She lay her head on his shoulder, trying to get her breathing to match his. "I just wanted to make sure this is all real."

Spencer kissed her forehead. "It's real," he told her softly before drifting back to sleep.

* * *

On their last day in paradise before returning to the real world, the newlyweds decided to finally venture out of the suite. Teddy pulled on her navy blue bikini and grabbed her straw hat and sunglasses, heading for the door.

"Here," Spencer called, tossing her the white swimsuit coverup she'd brought along.

Teddy caught it but set it on the chair beside her. "I don't need it today, babe. It's pretty hot, and besides we were just going to go get in the water anyway." She reached for the doorknob.

Spencer's hand pushed the door shut. With his other hand he grabbed the coverup and held it out to Teddy. "Put it on please," he said firmly.

She studied his face for a moment, not liking what she saw. His expression was one she'd never seen before. It was hard, almost angry. His eyes glistened in a way that was not their usual, happy sparkle.

"Fine," she whispered, pulling it over her head. As the fabric slid down her face and settled over her body she wondered what had just happened. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she?

Just as quickly as Spencer's anger appeared it was gone. "Good. Are you ready for the beach? I know I sure am," he laughed, grabbing their room card from the table near the door and heading into the hallway.

Teddy stood in the doorway, watching as Spencer walked down the hall to the elevator. Her mind was racing, wondering what had provoked Spencer to be angry with her. He'd never cared that she didn't wear anything over her bikini before. Whatever it was, it made her feel uneasy.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Spencer teased from beside the elevator. "It's our last day of vacation, we have to make the most of it!"

Teddy forced herself to smile at him. "Coming!" she called, hoping her voice didn't sound as confused as she felt. She pulled the door shut behind herself and ran down the hall to meet her new husband.

* * *

"Charlie, could you come here for a moment, please?" Mr. Weston asked as the bell rang and the rest of Charlie's eighth grade English class filed out of the room.

Charlie's best friends Owen and Natalie shot her silly faces before they left, Owen with his eyes crossed and Natalie's tongue sticking out. It was their thing, making faces at each other all the time. Sure, it was a little childish, but it was fun.

Charlie suppressed a grin and groaned internally, wondering what she was in trouble for this time. Mr. Weston had been on her case all semester, whether it be about her grades or her social life. Last week Charlie had been reprimanded by him because apparently her flowered headband caused too much of a distraction in class. She'd thought it was unfair that she was being punished just because every girl in the class kept asking her where she bought it. It was super cute, so Charlie wasn't surprised with her classmate's reactions. She just couldn't believe Mr. Weston had thought it was such a big deal.

"What did I do this time?" Charlie asked gloomily, hugging her textbook to her chest. Mr. Weston shook his head and stood up from his desk. He reached for the white board's eraser and began cleaning off that day's notes.

"Believe it or not, nothing," he said with a laugh.

Charlie relaxed slightly, though she still thought something was off. "Well then why did you need to see me?"

Mr. Weston set down the eraser and pulled a manila folder out of his top desk drawer. He flipped through a couple of papers before finding the one. "_This_ is why I needed to see you," Mr. Weston told her, handing over the thin packet of printer paper held together by a small staple.

Charlie set her book on the edge of the teacher's desk so she could take it from him. She recognized the assignment, it was one she'd turned in two weeks ago. They were supposed to write a four page paper about the person who had had the greatest impact on their lives so far. Charlie flipped to the back page, which was where Mr. Weston wrote the grades in blue felt-tipped pen.

Her eyes widened. "I got an A?" She frantically searched through her paragraphs for the usual cross outs and corrections that riddled her C papers. There were none. Instead, there were smiley faces in the margins near underlined sentences that Mr. Weston had marked as "_excellent!"_.

Mr. Weston watched Charlie with a pleasant smile on his face, glad she was finally proud of a grade that was returned to her. "This paper is by the far the best assignment you've ever turned in, and it was my favorite one to read out of the whole class." He returned to his chair and leaned back with his hands behind his head, pleased with Charlie's reaction.

"Wow," she mused softly, returning the paper to Mr. Weston's desk. "Thank you!"

Mr. Weston shook his head and leaned forward so his elbows were propped on the edge of his desk. "Don't thank me, Charlie. This was all you. See what can happen when actually like what you're writing about?"

The warning bell for next period rang, prompting Charlie to grab her textbook and head toward the door. "Yeah, I see what you mean," she said over her shoulder. "Thanks again, Mr. Weston."

She ran up the stairs to health class, where Owen would be saving her a seat near the back. Natalie had opted for choir that period and would meet them downstairs after for lunch. As Charlie entered the room, she waved to Owen and instead of sitting with him, she took a seat in the front row. Just as the final bell rang, Owen slid into the empty seat beside her.

"This is new," he whispered, settling into the new environment. "What's up?"

Charlie glanced over at him, secretly loving everything about him. His auburn hair wasn't obnoxiously long like most boys' hair, but it was long enough to look perfectly messy. His gray eyes sparkled in any kind of light and his easy smile made the whole world brighter.

"I think I want to actually start trying," Charlie murmured, the vision of her A paper still present in her mind. The title made her smile. _Good Luck, Charlie – How My Sister Prepared Me for Life._

* * *

It was too early for a drink but Gabe didn't care. He pulled a Guinness from the fridge and popped the cap off using the edge of the counter top. Turning so that his back was leaning against the refrigerator, he took a long swig from the bottle. The bitter taste had never been one that he enjoyed, but it was the feeling he got after drinking a few that made it appealing.

Guinness was the first alcohol he ever tried. Gabe grinned at the memory, sidestepping clutter on the floor of his messy apartment to get to his stained, broken couch. He was fourteen and he'd been at his friend Jake's house for the weekend. His parents were too preoccupied with Charlie and a sick Toby to even ask what he'd be doing with Jake.

On that Saturday night Jake's dad had a date, so the two boys were alone in a large house with more than one liquor cabinet and an icebox refrigerator in the garage dedicated solely to beer. Jake, who over the summer had hit puberty and turned into quite the ladies' man, invited a few girls to come over.

The three girls Jake invited arrived twenty minutes later. One of those girls was Amanda Collins. _Amanda._ Even back then Gabe knew she would be the one for him. When she walked in, Gabe could have sworn she was an angel. Amanda's face was round and pretty, with soft hazel eyes and freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her lips were cherry red, which Gabe later learned were naturally like that without the help of makeup. Amanda's light brown hair fell into ringlets that were always the slightest bit frizzy. She always looked at bit nervous, but that night she stopped being shy.

Gabe had long forgotten the names of the other two girls, but he remembered they weren't nearly as pretty as Amanda, though it was not that they didn't try. Their heavy eyeliner and unnatural looking blush didn't deter Jake, though, and Gabe knew that he had gotten to second base with both of them that night.

After the girls all arrived Jake brought in a six pack from the garage and handed one to each of them. Gabe looked at it, unsure he even wanted to try one. He remembered PJ telling him about the first beer he ever drank, at a party his junior year of high school. He said it was the most disgusting thing he ever tasted, but afterward the buzz made you want another.

Sure enough, the first sip was hard for him to swallow. The two heavily made-up girls had no problems with theirs, and Gabe had no doubt in his mind they'd both downed more than few before. Jake finished his first and was on to his second before Gabe was even half done with his, but Gabe was too busy talking to Amanda to notice.

"You know you don't have to drink that," Gabe told her quietly, hoping she wouldn't be embarrassed that he noticed she'd hardly taken more than two sips. Her eyes met his and her cheeks flushed but she nodded and pushed the can away from herself.

"Do you guys do this often?" she asked timidly, her gaze wandering to Jake and her two friends, who were all getting pretty cozy together. Jake's face was set in a grin all night and the girls looked pretty thrilled as well.

Gabe shook his head, taking another agonizing sip of his drink. "Honestly, this is my first drink ever," he laughed. "And I've never been all alone with a pretty girl before, either," he added before he could stop himself.

Amanda smiled, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Well that's good," she giggled, not knowing what else to say.

"We're going out to the pool," Jake said, his words sounding sloppy. "Wanna come?" The two girls were already pulling off their sweaters, revealing their tank tops and bra straps.

"No thanks," Gabe called to Jake's already retreating back. After a few moments Amanda stood up and began to look at the pictures on the mantle above the fireplace. "You know," Gabe said as he watched her move from picture to picture, "I don't see you much at school. We had a few classes together in middle school right?"

Amanda nodded as she put back the photo she'd been looking at, one of Jake as a toddler sitting on the kitchen floor, an entire bag of flour dumped over his head. He looked like Casper. "Yeah, we had some together last year. I'm in the gifted program this year, so most of my classes are different from the regular ones." Gabe loved how she said this. She didn't sound the least bit snobby about being in the smart kid classes, she just said it as a fact. "I still have regular math though, it's not really my strong point," she said with a nervous giggle.

Gabe stood up to join her, leaving his Guinness on the floor. "It's not my thing either," he told her, standing as close to her as he dared. _She even smells beautiful, _he thought. _Like apples. _"Maybe we could help each other with it, you know, the whole two heads are better than one thing."

Amanda smiled, inching closer to Gabe. She was a couple inches shorter than he was, so she had to tilt her head up a little to look at him properly when she stood this close. "I'd like that," she said softly, a stray curl falling into her eyes.

Now, Gabe snapped back to reality as he finished off his drink. His mind was swimming in memories of Amanda, most of them good, only a few of them bad. The bad ones though, Gabe noticed, were a lot more recent than the good ones.

In the wake of Teddy's engagement two years ago, Gabe was one hundred percent certain that he wanted to ask Amanda to marry him as well. The idea rolled around in his head for about ten months before he decided it was time. The night he chose, the night before Amanda's birthday, was all set up to be extremely romantic. Basically, he wanted it to be nearly impossible for her to say no. He invited her out to dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant, ordered sparkling grape juice, because at just shy of twenty one he couldn't order champagne, and had a beautiful engagement ring in his pocket.

Right before dessert, which Gabe had chosen to be strawberry cheesecake because it was her favorite, Amanda told him her plans to go to Kenya next year and how she was planning to stay for two years.

And that, Gabe thought, was the beginning of the end. He got up to grab another beer from the fridge and start, for the hundredth time, a letter to his almost-fiancee, asking her to please come back home.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked this chapter! I really enjoy writing Charlie's and Gabe's lives, so there might be a little bit more of them in the story than I had originally intended. In fact, I may go back and change the summary to reflect my shift from mostly Teddy to everyone. **

**Also, I really appreciate all the favorites and alerts I'm getting from you guys, but I'd really love some more reviews! Those are the things that keep me going. I'm a lot more motivated to write a really good chapter when I get feedback (positive OR negative) from those of you who are reading.**

**Thanks for reading! The next chapter is on it's way soon! And it could be even sooner if I get some feedback ;)**


	5. The Knight in Shining Armor

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

* * *

"Ready to go, pipsqueak?" Charlie yelled as she ran down the stairs. She pulled her long blond hair into a high ponytail and swiped some lip gloss across her small lips before she got to the bottom. After almost fourteen years of being late for everything, she was an expert at getting ready while running around.

"Charlie," Amy said sternly from the couch. "Don't call Toby pipsqueak, he's sensitive you know." Amy was laying on the couch, reading a romance novel. As much as she enjoyed all of her extra free time lately, she didn't like that in less than ten years she'd have an empty nest. When Charlie and Toby were at school and she had a day off from work, she really didn't know what to do with herself.

Charlie sighed dramatically and grabbed her backpack from the foot of the stairs. "Well it's not my fault he's little," she mumbled, slipping her feet into her purple Chuck Taylors.

Amy closed her book. "You were that little once too," Amy reminded her, memories of a young Charlie flooding her mind. She remembered fondly Charlie at ten. She was as much a spitfire then as she was now, but Amy could recall more than once that Charlie's feelings were hurt when Gabe, the next youngest Duncan, would stop visiting home after moving out.

Toby, who could pass for a clone of ten-year-old Gabe, slowly made his way down the stairs, partly because he was still half asleep and partly because he knew it drove Charlie crazy.

"You two have a wonderful day today," Amy said as she got up from the couch. She gave each kid a hug and she ran her fingers through Toby's bedhead. "Charlie, don't just leave your brother at the corner this time, please. Make sure he actually gets into the building before you walk away."

"Whatever," Charlie groaned, "now can we please go? I've got things to do!" She thought about how at this exact moment Owen and Natalie were getting dropped off by Natalie's dad and if she didn't leave _right this second _Owen would just go to his first period gym class to shoot hoops before the bell. She much preferred the days that he would sit with her in the library and talk until it was time for class.

Three minutes later, they were finally out the door. Amy had insisted on combing Toby's hair before she let them leave. Charlie was nearly five feet ahead of Toby as they walked, though she knew it wasn't accomplishing anything because she still had to go out of her way to get to the elementary school.

"Could you slow down?" Toby asked, stumbling over his untied laces as he tried to catch up to his big sister. He hated that he still had to be walked to school. Though technically Charlie hardly ever brought him all the way to school.

Charlie stopped for a second to allow him to catch up. "Sorry Toby, I'm just kind of anxious about something." For as much grief as she gave him, every once in a while she would stop and realize that she remembered how it felt to be the little sibling.

"Let me guess," Toby said as he and Charlie turned the corner, "It has to do with Owen." He looked over at his sister, fully anticipating the shocked expression on her face. "I may be a pipsqueak but I'm not stupid."

* * *

PJ anxiously paced around his small apartment, his cell phone propped between his shoulder and his ear as he pulled handfuls of barbecue potato chips out of a foil bag, crumbs sprinkled down the front of his shirt.

"Mr. Duncan?" A voice on the end said suddenly. PJ tossed the bag into the armchair next to him and brushed off his hands on his jeans.

"Yeah, yes, uh I'm here!" He stumbled over his words and then rolled his eyes at how stupid he sounded.

"I just talked to the booking manager and he told me that we have an opening next Thursday night at six thirty," the woman sounded bored, like she was ready to go home. "You have a half an hour set. Be here an hour early. Any questions?"

PJ's jaw dropped and he punched the air enthusiastically. "Great, thank you so much!" He ran his barbecue covered hand through his hair unknowingly. "I almost hate to ask, but is it a paid gig?" PJ asked hopefully, biting his lip.

The woman relayed his question to someone else and PJ heard some muffled laughter. He blushed, wondering if he was completely out of line in asking.

"Tell you what," she said with a hint of laughter, "if you can fill all our tables, you get thirty percent of whatever we make that night."

"You got it!" PJ thanked the woman again and hung up.

He knew he probably wouldn't get paid with that kind of deal, but it was more the exposure he was excited about. TenCafe was a pretty well known coffee shop and music venue in Denver, and with his first professionally made album releasing soon, the more gigs he booked the better.

PJ collapsed onto the couch, adrenaline pulsing through him. He tapped his hands against his thighs excitedly, wishing he had something to do to burn off his excess energy.

He'd graduated from Southwest Denver Community College a few years ago with a bachelor's degree in music performance. It was something none of the Duncans thought would do him any good, but he'd pointed out that it had to be at least three steps up from Kwikki Chikki University. Whenever PJ would think about how no one had ever really believed in him, it hurt a little. Sure, he understood that in high school he didn't give anyone much reason to do so, but deep down PJ has always thought that he would do big things some day.

His cellphone rang twice before he realized. "Hello?"

"PJ, hey, it's Skylar," the voice on the other end of the phone sounded a little nervous. PJ remembered how whenever Skylar used to get nervous her voice would get higher. It was always so adorable.

"Skylar, what's up?" PJ stood up and started pacing again. Now _he _was nervous. He and Skylar hadn't talked on the phone since they were teenagers. He wasn't even sure how she'd gotten his phone number.

Last week at Teddy's wedding he and Skylar had left the reception hall for the pond outside, and they'd had a really good talk together. PJ had to control himself in order to not kiss her right then and there, but he wanted to be sure it was what's best for Skylar. When they'd broken up in New York, Skylar was the one who was being mature and thinking about what was best for herself. I, on the other hand, PJ thought guiltily, was just thinking about what _I _wanted.

"Um, I'm really sorry to call you like this, but..." Skylar sniffled and PJ realized that she was crying. "Can you please come to my house? I really need someone, and Teddy's all the way in Seattle and Ivy's not answering her phone," her voice caught in a fresh round of tears.

"Give me your address and I'll be right over," PJ told her calmly, though his heart was pounding. He had no idea what was wrong, but the fact that she sounded so distraught told him that this was important.

* * *

Teddy stared at herself in the full length mirror in her bedroom. She had on a soft pink robe and her hair was tied up in a bun. Her french manicure and pedicure she got the day of the wedding were almost completely chipped away. Teddy sighed, running her fingers over the dark circles under her eyes.

Tomorrow would be her first day as a co-anchor on Seattle First, a local news program. She felt incredibly nervous, though she had a little bubble of excitement that popped up every few minutes when she realized that this job is what she's been working toward for her entire adult life, and she was finally getting it.

"I hope for their sake they have a seriously good makeup team," she muttered, her fingers tracing the faint lines on her forehead. "I'm not even thirty and I already look run down."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Spencer asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "I've been standing here for as long as you have, and all I see is a gorgeous, beautiful, young woman." He kissed her neck and Teddy smiled.

"You're kind of biased," Teddy told him, turning around so she could hug him. "I mean, we just got married so obviously _you _like how I look."

Spencer shrugged and pressed his lips to her forehead. "And I always will. Even when you're old and gray I'll still think you're the prettiest woman in the world."

Teddy breathed in his familiar sent. She loved the comfort she felt with Spencer. As much as she hated how it sounded, Spencer made her feel as secure as her father did. She remembered last week when she'd confided in her dad as they walked down the aisle. She hadn't wanted anything to change, and now it seemed like everything was changing faster than she'd ever imagined. But now, Teddy felt that she could get through all the changes with Spencer by her side.

After holding each other a moment longer, Spencer gave her a squeeze on the arm and pulled away. "I need to head into the office for a little while, is there anything you want me to do while I'm out?" he asked, reaching for his keys from the top of the dresser.

"Yeah, we're out of milk and bread. If you could pick some up I'd appreciate the extra time to figure out what I'm wearing for my on-air debut," Teddy said, gesturing toward the closet. She had two outfits in mind, but she wasn't overly thrilled with either one.

"You got it, babe. I'll be back in an hour or two."

Teddy watched him walk out the bedroom door and a few seconds later the front door closed heavily. As she pulled her two possible outfits out of the closet, she found the swimsuit cover up she'd worn in Tahiti balled up next to the clothes hamper. Bending over to pick it up, Teddy was met with flashes of Spencer's eyes as her forced her to put it on. The maniacal glow sent shivers down her spine now just as it had then.

Her heart began to beat faster. She threw it into the hamper and dumped the outfits in her arms to the floor. She fell back onto the bed and hot tears clouded her vision. She'd tried to write off the incident, telling herself that it was just the stress of spending money on a ceremony and honeymoon and everything had accumulated to push Spencer over the edge. But she knew that excuse wasn't enough. Spencer hadn't acted like anything strange had happened, and that made Teddy want to believe that the whole thing went differently than she imagined. She had probably just exaggerated it in her mind.

Wiping her tears, she got up from the bed and picked up the clothes she'd dropped. She began to smile as she held the outfits up to herself in the mirror. She couldn't wait for Spencer to get home. She would model for him and he'd help her decide which one she should choose.

"Everything is just perfect," Teddy said to herself, pulling her hair into a ponytail. In five minutes time she'd completely forgotten the swimsuit coverup in the hamper and was off to cook dinner for her husband.

* * *

PJ pulled up to a small cape cod style house at the end of a heavily wooded street. There was a police car sitting in the driveway, causing PJ's heart to beat faster. He pulled in behind the cop car and unbuckled his seat belt before he even had the car in park.

He jumped out of the car and walked up to the open front door. He saw Skylar sitting on the couch, tears streaming down her face. Two officers were in the room. The man was sitting next to Skylar, writing notes on a small pad of paper. The woman, who was just standing up, saw PJ standing outside.

"Sir?" the woman addressed him, approaching the screen door. "Can I help you?"

PJ shoved his hands in his pockets and took a step back. "Yeah, um, Skylar called me about twenty minutes ago and asked me to come over."

"Is that you PJ?" Skylar called, getting up from the couch.

"Do you know this man?" the woman officer asked, standing between PJ and Skylar.

Skylar nodded and pushed open the screen door for him to come in. "He's my friend. I asked him to come."

PJ entered, feeling the eyes of both police officers watch his every move. "What's going on?"

"Ms. Preston arrived home from work just as three masked men were robbing her blind," the man officer said dryly, flipping his notepad shut.

"Oh god, that's awful! Are you okay, Sky?" PJ pulled her into his arms just as she burst into a new round of tears. PJ glanced around the room, just now noticing what a mess the place was. He'd been so focused on Skylar that he hadn't seen the place was in shambles.

A potted plant was smashed, dirt coating the carpet. The side window was shattered and the coffee table overturned.

"I'm fine," she whispered into PJ's chest. "They took everything from me," Skylar sobbed.

"Ms. Preston has reported two televisions, a stereo, a china dish set, jewelry, and nearly a thousand dollars in cash as missing," the woman officer recited, watching PJ carefully, as if she half expected him to confess to robbing his friend's house.

"If you can think of anything else, please don't hesitate to give us a call." The man handed Skylar a business card. "We'll let you know if our team finds any leads."

Skylar nodded and thanked them. As she closed the door behind them, Skylar looked up at PJ, her eyes red and watery. "I'm sorry PJ, I needed someone and I didn't know who else to call. I don't feel safe here by myself."

PJ reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm glad you called me Skylar, I wouldn't want you to be here alone either."

They walked over to the couch and sat together. PJ held her in his arms, stroking her hair softly. "Why don't you come stay at my place for a couple days? Maybe wait to come back home until the assholes who did this have been found?"

"You don't mind?" Skylar asked, sitting up to get a better look at him.

"Of course I don't mind," PJ told her softly. As he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but think that he wanted nothing more than to be her knight in shining armor.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. The Nightmare

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

* * *

Gabe awoke from a fitful sleep, tangled in a mess of blue sheets and cold sweat. He pushed himself into a sitting position and waited for the dizziness to subside before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and placing his feet on the hard wood floor.

He'd had the same nightmare before, so he did exactly what he always did. Reaching for a t shirt from a pile near the closet, Gabe exited his bedroom to clear his mind. He flipped the light switch at the end of the short hallway, illuminating the dingy, dismal kitchen. It was a sore subject between Gabe and Amy; every time she visited she would insist on cleaning up and making everything more cheerful. Eventually Gabe stopped fighting it and let Amy do what she wanted with it. She'd bought him some yellow curtains and a potted plant and scrubbed the floor so it shined. Not long after the sink was dirty again, the plant had died, and Gabe had taken down the curtains because he hated yellow. Amy never brought the subject up again, which was just fine with him.

After filling a glass with water, Gabe sat down at his laptop, opening a folder on his desktop called _Amanda._ His mouse hesitated over the dozens of files. Gabe scrolled through slowly, eventually finding what he was looking for. Every time he had this particular nightmare, he would get up and watch a video he'd recorded of Amanda just over a year into their relationship. They had been sixteen, and madly in love.

The screen was black for a brief moment and then the video sprung to life. Gabe took a sip of his water, eager to see if he could still recite their conversation word for word.

Amanda was sitting cross legged on the Duncan's couch, a history textbook open in her lap. Gabe, who'd pulled out his cell phone to record, zoomed in on her lips, which were moving silently as she read a page about the Revolutionary War.

"You're beautiful, you know that?"video Gabe said quietly, the camera lens still trained on her lips. Amanda looked up from her book, a smile surfacing on her cherry red mouth. She closed the book and held it over her face, trying to hide from the camera.

"Gabe, I look like a bum right now," she giggled, peeking around the corner of the textbook. Her eyes sparkled with laughter and Gabe propped up his phone on the coffee table so they could both be in the shot together.

He took the book from her hands and set it down on the floor gently. "You look like an angel," he told her. He pulled her into his arms and touched his forehead to hers. "Even when we're sitting so close that it looks like you have three eyes, you're still beautiful."

Amanda swatted at his cheek, pulling back from his arms. "Gabriel Duncan, are you trying to win me over with sweet nothings and compliments?"

Gabe lifted his thumb and forefinger to his chin and stroked it thoughtfully. "Why? Is it working?" She giggled again and shifted so that she could lay back with her head in his lap. She took his right hand and intertwined their fingers.

"You don't even have to try," she said softly. The camera angle cut off Gabe's head, but it didn't matter because Gabe could remember exactly what his face looked like in that moment. Complete and uncompromisable love. "I'm yours," she whispered, bringing his fingers to her lips. "Forever."

Gabe had gently pushed her forward so she could sit up. He leaned in and kissed her ferociously, not even caring which Duncan would undoubtedly walk into the room at any second. His hand reached toward the phone blindly, not wanting to open his eyes in the middle of their kiss.

A second later the screen went black, leaving Gabe to stare at the computer screen, wishing he could be living in that moment again. He closed the laptop and finished off the glass of water before standing up. He turned off the light and got back into bed. The nightmare replayed over and over in his mind as he tried to drift back to sleep.

The terrible thing was, he realized, that it wasn't just a nightmare. What he saw in his mind almost every night as he was sleeping was what had actually happened just under four months ago. He'd been stupid. He knew it at the time, he just couldn't stop himself, because of course he'd also been drunk. Amanda had seen it happen, and although she'd said it wasn't a big deal, Gabe knew he'd hurt her. When he dropped her off at the airport two weeks later, she'd told him she wanted to put their relationship on hold for the duration of her trip. She'd said she didn't want thoughts of their broken relationship getting in the way of all the good she could be doing in Kenya, so it would be best to just end it for the time being.

Gabe had tried his best to understand where she was coming from, so he'd told her he loved her and given her a hug. He said he'd be waiting for her after she'd gone and saved the world.

* * *

"Do you know who that girl is?" Owen asked, nodding toward a brunette at the book checkout station. Charlie glanced over before returning her focus to the intense game of hangman she and Owen were playing at a study table in the center of the library.

It was Wednesday morning, one of the toughest for Charlie to get through. She always hated waking up on a Wednesday, because while it was the middle of the week, it didn't seem so until the afternoon. And that meant she had to make it through a whole day of class before she felt any relief.

This particular morning, Owen and Charlie both walked into the library at the same time. Natalie was home sick with the flu, so Owen's usual carpool with her father became Owen riding his four year old, falling apart bicycle to school, resulting in a later arrival than he was used to.

"That's Lindsay Farber," Charlie said, drawing a torso for the incorrect _P _Owen had guessed. "She's in my Spanish class."

Owen stared at her a moment longer before turning back to their game. "Oh," he said absently, staring at the blanks Charlie had drawn for him to guess.

"Nope, no _O,_" Charlie sighed as she drew an arm on the stick man.

"No, I didn't mean _O _the letter, I meant _oh _as in oh, okay!" Owen laughed, grabbing the pencil out of Charlie's hand to erase the arm. "My _real _guess is _T_."

Charlie filled in the three _Ts _in her phrase and looked over at Lindsay. She was extremely pretty, but she was also really shy, which meant that not many people noticed her. Lindsay was trying to stuff the two thick books she'd just checked out into her already over full backpack.

"What do you know about her?" Owen asked, seeing Charlie studying her.

Charlie shrugged. "She's really quiet. I know she's on some academic quiz team or something like that. She's pretty good at Spanish too, I think she might actually be half Hispanic."

Just as Charlie finished speaking the bottom of Lindsay's backpack tore and everything spilled out onto the floor. Lindsay turned bright red and dropped to the ground to gather everything up. Owen stood up and jogged to her side, introducing himself as he bent down to help.

"Umm, does this mean you forfeit?" Charlie called, though she wasn't sure he'd even hear her. Owen picked up Lindsay's ruined backpack and tucked it under his arm while he held her books in the other. Lindsay blushed again and said something Charlie couldn't hear. Lindsay led Owen out of the library, leaving Charlie alone with a halfway-hanged stick person.

She sighed and picked up her pencil, filling in the rest of the blanks. _That's irrelevant. _The phrase was something Owen had starting saying a few weeks ago. It was something he'd heard in a movie and he just loved how it sounded when he was arguing with someone, usually Charlie, and could shout _that's irrelevant!_ He'd feel like he won the argument just by saying those two silly words.

One of those words was exactly how Charlie felt as she sat all alone in the center of the library. Irrelevant.

* * *

Teddy pulled open the glass double doors of the public television building, feeling empowered. No longer was she walking through these doors as a lowly assistant or fill-in, she was walking in as co-anchor of Seattle First.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Walsh," Laura, the building secretary, said as Teddy walked by. It took Teddy a moment to realize that she was talking to her. _Mrs. Walsh_ still felt so new.

"Thank you, Laura. I'm excited to be back!"

"Well you're going to win over the hearts of everyone in that studio, I just know it!" Laura grinned, her chubby cheeks swelling happily.

Teddy waved goodbye and continued toward the studio with her head held high. She was confident in the outfit she'd chosen, a gray suit with a silk burgundy top underneath. Spencer had made the final decision, so Teddy was sure it had been the right choice.

She would be joining Matt Palmett as co-anchor on the seven a.m and noon news programs. Matt was relatively new in the business of news anchor, but at a handsome thirty-one he was just the right amount of eye candy the network needed to attract younger viewers. Teddy was excited that she would be working with him. His business savvy yet incredibly refined way of thinking had pulled the network out of the tank two years ago.

Matt was just a production assistant back then, though he'd been eying the co-anchor position hungrily, knowing that was what he was meant to do. So, just as Teddy had now, Matt filled the position of co-anchor when Susan Day retired. He and Bill Harvey made a great team for two years, but when Bill put in his notice Teddy was the one offered the position. It would be great to have two young and fresh faces on the news together, for both viewership and ratings.

"Ah, here comes my new leading lady," Matt Palmett grinned into his coffee mug. He took a sip but keep his eyes on Teddy as she walked toward him, all smiles.

"Hello, Matt," Teddy said warmly, sticking out her hand for him to shake. He took it and shook, then gestured to the studio.

"Ready for all this?" he asked in his warm voice. Teddy had always thought that his voice was just the comforting factor the news needed to somewhat soften the blow of hearing about escaped convicts and severe weather damage.

Teddy wavered, sucking in a huge breath. "Not sure, but I guess we'll find out soon."

Matt laughed, an easy, comforting sound. "Well don't worry about a thing, I'll make sure you're well prepared for your debut."

Teddy nodded, taking in her surroundings. The studio has always looked the same, though she felt like she was seeing it with fresh eyes. She would finally be sitting behind the big desk. She was exactly where she wanted to be. And it felt good.

* * *

"How was work today, sweetie?" Amy asked as she passed a serving dish of mashed potatoes to her husband. Bob groaned and took a heaping spoonful of potatoes before passing them on to Toby.

"It was long," he said tiredly. "Alvin didn't come in today so I had to fumigate two apartment complexes entirely by myself and _then _I had to go out to some house in the boondocks to confirm an old woman's phone call that bats were flying around in her attic. I get to go back and take care of them tomorrow," he sighed, already wishing he could play hooky from work and just sleep in.

"I'm sorry, honey," Amy said, genuinely worried that at fifty five, Bob couldn't handle it all on his own like he used to. "Alvin has been calling in a lot lately, maybe you should work on getting a replacement," she suggested between bites of her grilled chicken.

Bob nodded, pushing his food around on his plate. "We'll see," he said noncommittally. "How about you kids, did you have a good day today?"

Toby nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I got chosen as student of the week! So I get to have pizza in the teacher's lounge at lunch of Friday!"

"Good for you, son!" Bob exclaimed. He clapped Toby on the back and grinned. He couldn't help but feel proud that one of his sons was finally recognized at school for doing something good.

"We're very proud of you," Amy affirmed, reaching out to hold Toby's hand. "That's excellent news! In fact, there may be some ice cream in the freezer with your name on it," Amy said with a wink.

Bob smiled as he continued eating, looking toward Charlie expectantly. "And you, princess?"

Charlie, who had been silent through the entire meal, dropped her fork to her plate with a sigh. "Well, Nat has been home sick for two days now so school has been pretty lonely. I had to actually do homework at lunch because I had no one to talk to," Charlie cringed at the memory of algebra spoiling her ham and cheese sandwich.

Bob chuckled. "What about Owen? I thought you spent a lot of time with him at school?" He glanced over at Amy to make sure he wasn't about to enter teenage girl hormonal territory, but Amy shrugged at him, not knowing anything about Charlie and Owen's relationship. All she knew was that Charlie had had a crush on him since she was nine, but she didn't know if anything had ever happened between them.

"He started following Lindsay Farber around like a lost puppy this morning, and I haven't talked to him all day," Charlie admitted, stabbing her chicken breast violently.

Amy cleared her throat and tossed her napkin onto her plate. "Well, maybe some ice cream will cheer everyone up!"

"I don't need cheering up, mom," Toby said in his small voice that Amy had no other words for beside adorable. "But I will never say no to ice cream!"

* * *

**Another chapter I rally enjoyed writing! Hope you like it. Reviews keep me motivated, so feel free to tell me what you think! **


	7. The Baby Duck

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

* * *

Skylar sat on PJ's couch with her feet curled underneath her pale pink sundress. It was nearly June and the open windows in the fifth floor apartment were letting in a warm breeze. She'd been staying at PJ's for two days now, waiting to hear from the police department about any potential leads.

"Can I get you anything?" PJ asked as he exited the bathroom, a ratty bath towel draped over his shoulders. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, waiting to hear if Skylar wanted a drink. She didn't answer, so PJ walked over to the couch where Skylar had been sitting all morning, staring blankly at the wall. "Skylar?"

She glanced up at PJ as he joined her on the couch, his hair still damp from his shower. "Hey PJ," she said absently. She smoothed out the skirt of her dress and scooted over to give him more room.

"Skylar," PJ began hesitantly, placing his beer bottle on the coffee table. "Are you okay? I mean, I know walking into your house being robbed is a pretty terrible thing, but I'm worried about you." He reached over for her hand, placing his gently on top of hers.

She turned to look at him. "PJ, I'm fine, honestly!" Her over-earnest smile cast a shadow of doubt in PJ's mind. "All the things those men took were just that: things! I'm perfectly alright, and my house is too. So everything is great," she said in a tone that sounded more like she was trying to convince herself rather than PJ.

"Then why have you been sitting on my couch for two days straight staring at a plain white wall?" he asked gently, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face.

Skylar's eyes welled up as she leaned into the touch of PJ's hand on her face. "Do you remember at Teddy's wedding when we were sitting by that pond?"

PJ nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, I've been thinking and I'm starting to wonder if I'm more like that baby duck than like the swan that pushed everyone away. I mean, I get scared when things get difficult. When someone presents me with a challenge I give up and swim away, instead of trying harder." Her eyes searched PJ's face for some sort of reaction, but he did nothing except grasp her hand more firmly.

Skylar took a deep breath because she felt like she needed to keep talking. "Two years ago my boyfriend at the time, Mark, proposed to me. He was great and he was sweet and he loved me so much. The only thing about him that was less than perfect was the fact that he was going through a trial. He'd been accused of laundering money from his company into some seedy underground business. I have no doubt in my mind that he was innocent, but the investigation into him and his company was just too much stress for me to handle at the time," Skylar's voice trailed off like she was replaying it in her mind.

"Well what happened?" PJ asked, wondering what would have made Skylar turn down a proposal from such a supposedly great guy.

"Lawyers and investigators kept calling my house, asking me for inside information about what kind of a man Mark was. It was getting creepy, and eventually a man on the opposing side began stalking me because he thought I may have had a hand in Mark's alleged crime," she recited, her eyes closed. The memory caused fresh tears to prick behind her eyes. "I swam away because something was difficult. I should have stood by Mark, knowing that he was falsely accused and that as soon as someone could prove it, our lives would go back to normal."

PJ was silent, his mind racing. So much had happened to Skylar in the past decade and while he was focused on Skylar at the moment, something deep inside him was ashamed that in the same time span his life had hardly changed at all. "And the trial?" he asked.

Skylar shrugged. "I hate to say it, but after I turned him down Mark and I completely lost touch. I have no idea what happened. For all I know he could have proven himself innocent and sued the shit out of the guy who said he did it."

PJ grinned at her. "Well that'd be a shame, because if you'd stayed with him half that shit would be yours!"

"Shut up, PJ," Skylar laughed, shoving him gently. Her smile faded as she thought more about Mark. She wasn't sure why she'd been so adamant that she couldn't have handled the trial, but she'd be lying if she said that turning Mark down had nothing to do with still being in love with PJ.

* * *

Charlie took her seat at the front of Mr. Weston's English class. Ever since she got an A on her essay, she'd been eager to see what else she could do.

Natalie slid into the seat on Charlie's left. "You know, I'm not sure why we used to sit in the back," Natalie mused as she pulled out her notebook and rummaged for a pencil. "It's almost like if you're in the front row you're invisible to the teacher, because he's so used to looking to the back row to tell people to stop talking."

Charlie smiled and stared at the door. She wasn't sure if Owen was even at school today. When Natalie and her dad pulled up to the front of the school he wasn't with them. Natalie said that he'd texted her earlier saying he didn't need a ride.

The warning bell rang and a few kids entered the classroom. Mr. Weston pulled the door closed behind him as he came in. "Morning everyone," he said cheerfully, setting his coffee and briefcase down on his desk. "I trust you're all eager to learn today!" The final bell sounded and Charlie's heart sank, wondering how she'd get her Owen fix today if he wasn't even there.

Mr. Weston passed out grammar worksheets and instructed the class to work on them in pairs. "I'll put the answers up on the whiteboard in a few minutes. Correct them yourselves and hand them in when you're finished," he said.

Charlie and Natalie pushed their desks closer together and decided to split up the work by Charlie doing the front side and Natalie working on the back.

"So," Charlie said quietly as she tried to find the correct place for a comma, "where do you think Owen is?"

Natalie shrugged. "Dunno. I'm kind of sad though, my first day back from puking my guts out for three days straight and he's not even here to welcome me."

Charlie felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. With a quick glance to be sure Mr. Weston wasn't watching, she took it out and read the text in her inbox. _"Can u get hw from class for me? Skipping w Lindsay at park" _Charlie's heart sank as she read Owen's text. Natalie looked over quizzically. Charlie tipped her phone so Natalie could read it. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"We're going to lose him," Natalie said quietly, digging her eraser into her paper. Charlie had filled Natalie in on what happened in the library two days ago and she'd been surprised to learn that Natalie was as concerned about it as she was.

After five minutes of silent work Charlie and Natalie finished their sides and looked over their answers together. Charlie could hardly concentrate because all she could do was imagine Owen and Lindsay at the park together, laughing and flirting and having a great time together.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Charlie asked quietly, closing her eyes to shield herself from Natalie's eyes.

"You betcha," Natalie said, dropping her pencil to her desk, glad for any distraction from proper verb placement and dangling participles.

Charlie bit her lip and exhaled deeply. "I have a huge crush on Owen. I have since we were in elementary school. And him being with Lindsay right now is driving me insane."

Natalie smirked and picked up her pencil again. "Charlie, that's not a secret. At all. I think I've known it longer than you have."

* * *

"Excuse me, Mr. Barry?" Gabe cleared his throat as he entered his boss's office hesitantly. Russel Barry, a stout, balding man in his fifties peered at Gabe over his half-moon glasses and waved him over to his desk.

"Duncan," Barry greeted gruffly as he clicked a few buttons on the screen of his computer. "Just give me a minute."

Gabe nodded and sat in one of the cushy padded chairs in front of Barry's desk. Barry was an intimidating man, but strangely he was always welcoming to whomever needed him. Gabe admired that about him, though he was also terrified of his steely stare and clenched jaw.

Glancing around the large corner office, Gabe tried to get a feel for his boss's personal life. Gabe had only been at Schuler Insurance for six months, so he hadn't had much opportunity to figure out the real Mr. Barry. There was a large portrait on the back wall, the kind that were painted to look like photographs. Gabe had seen them multiple times in movies, rich men always had them in their home libraries. Aside from the portrait, which was of a very big man sitting in an armchair, there weren't many personal touches in the room. A potted fern was in the corner near the fax machine, but Gabe could tell from ten feet away that it was plastic.

"My father," Barry said, nodding toward the portrait Gabe had just been staring at. He took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. "He was a great man. What can I do for you, Duncan?" He switched off his computer monitor and stared at Gabe intently.

Gabe sucked in a breath and began speaking before his sense kicked in. "Sir, I know that you have strict rules about vacation time and when it is allotted to your employees, as you should, but I've been a loyal employee for the past six months and I was wondering if it would be at all possible for you to consider granting me one week of vacation time?" Gabe swallowed and hurriedly continued making his case because Mr. Barry's face was looking less and less pleased with each syllable that came out of his mouth. "I really feel as though I deserve it, and I would be more than willing to work some unpaid overtime to make up for the days I'd be missing and -"

Barry held up a hand to silence him. He let out a sigh and stared into Gabe's eyes with a furrowed brow. "Son, I know that whatever reason you're requesting this vacation time for probably seems like the most important thing in the world right now, but rules are rules, and employees of Schuler Insurance do not begin to accumulate paid vacation days until after one year of employment."

Gabe's heart sank and he sat forward in his chair. "Please, Mr. Barry, what about unpaid vacation time?"

The man held his gaze for a moment before turning back to his computer monitor. "A week is a long time to be down an employee," Barry said quietly. "Frankly, I don't think I can spare you for that long. I'm sorry."

The small bubble of hope that Gabe held on to popped as he closed his eyes. No vacation time. Game over. "Thanks for your time, sir," Gabe managed, defeated as he felt.

Mr. Barry watched Gabe's slowly retreating back. "Duncan," he said abruptly, just as Gabe reached the door. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you planning to use this time for?"

Gabe placed his hand on the doorknob but looked over his shoulder to answer. "I was planning to fly to Kenya to win back the heart of the woman I love." He opened the door and left the office, disappointed and deflated.

Russel Barry, a closet hopeless romantic, sat at his desk, the stem of his glasses between his lips. He pictured his late wife Irene in his mind and made a mental note to write the requested time off into Gabe's time sheet.

* * *

"How was work today, babe?" Spencer asked as he sat down at the small dining room table. Teddy cooked an elaborate meal for him in hopes of becoming the model wife. She didn't care about all that feminism stuff Ivy was always going on about; she loved her husband and wanted him to know it.

"It was wonderful," Teddy said cheerfully, scooping green bean casserole onto Spencer's plate. "Matt is a really great mentor for me. He's showing me exactly what to do without being overbearing about it, you know?"

Spencer clenched his jaw briefly, but managed to turn it into a smile before Teddy looked up at him. He reached for his fork and took a bite of his salad. "That's great."

Teddy smiled and took a sip of her wine. "I'd really love it if you came into the studio one day. It would be great to show you off to everyone," she said with a grin.

"Well maybe next week I can take an early lunch sometime and make it in to watch your noon broadcast," Spencer suggested. "I'd like to meet this Matt guy you've been raving about."

Teddy furrowed her brow and swallowed slowly. "I haven't exactly been _raving _about him, Spence. He's my co-anchor. We're supposed to build up a relationship to make our witty banter more believable for the viewers."

Spencer nodded. "You're right sweetie, I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. Rough day is all."

"Really? How so?" Teddy asked, cocking her head thoughtfully.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now, Teddy." Spencer finished off his wine in one swig. "Don't want to ruin this lovely meal you've prepared with talks of office trouble." He speared a cherry tomato with his fork and shoved in his mouth amidst a smile.

Teddy smiled back uncertainly. "Right," she agreed, trying to put herself back at ease. She watched Spencer finish his plate quickly and excuse himself from the table all before Teddy even finished her salad.

* * *

**I'm SO sorry it took so long to get this chapter to you guys. School and work and my social life got in the way for a while, but I promise it will not take anywhere near as long to get the next chapter up! Thanks for reading!**


	8. The Harsh Realities

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie or any of the characters associated with it. The plot is the only thing that's mine.**

* * *

The day after practically begging Mr. Barry for vacation time, Gabe was in his small apartment packing a ragged carry-on suitcase with jeans and underwear. He tossed a couple of balled up shirts from near the end of his bed into the suitcase and headed to the closet, thinking he was going to need to pack at least one presentable outfit if he was going to win Amanda back.

Mr. Barry apparently had a change of heart, because at four o'clock that same day Gabe asked for it, he stuck his head into Gabe's cubicle and said that he had the next five days off of work.

"Thank you, sir!" Gabe sputtered with happiness, his heart racing. "I appreciate it, Mr. Barry."

Barry gave him a small smile and held up a hand to wave off Gabe's thanks. "Get the girl, kid."

Ten minutes later, Gabe was searching various travel sites for a cheap round trip ticket to Kenya. After shelling out almost $900, Gabe began to think about what he was going to say to her.

Now, as he was packing, he still hadn't figured it out. He raced around his apartment, talking to himself and throwing deodorant and toothpaste and insurance cards into his suitcase.

"Amanda," Gabe said, nearly out of breath from all the running he was doing, "I love you, and I'm sorry, and if you love me back at all, please let me explain."

That was as far as he'd gotten, and he had absolutely no clue what was going to come next.

* * *

"Can you believe this story?" Matt asked Teddy as a make up artist brushed powder across his forehead. He tipped his script for the noon broadcast toward her, pointing to the fluffy piece the show would end with.

Teddy scanned the blurb, a story about a woman just outside of Denver who saved so much money on her grocery bill with coupons that the store ended up owing her six dollars, along with the two shopping carts full of items she bought.

Teddy rolled her eyes and brushed her hair out of her face for the make up artist who was getting ready to start on her. "I'm all for saving money, but that just seems like cheating to me."

Matt nodded his agreement and watched as Teddy's makeup was applied. "It's a shame they make you put on so much makeup for the show," he said, scooting his rolling chair so close to her that their knees touched. "You're so naturally beautiful that you don't need all of that."

Teddy blushed and bit her lip. He stomach flipped a little, surprising her. She wasn't sure what it meant, but she was glad that a producer started talking to Matt so that she could regain her composure.

Annie, the girl who was applying her makeup, winked at Teddy. "How do you do it?" she asked.

"Do what?" Teddy asked, cocking her head slightly before remembering she needed to stay still for Annie to do her job.

"Get the affections of the most attractive guy at the studio," Annie whispered, her bright green eyes wide and sparkling.

"Oh, that. I'm married, Annie," Teddy laughed as Annie raised an eyebrow. "So while his compliments are very flattering, he knows I'm married and I'm sure he knows that nothing will happen no matter how much he tries."

Annie just smiled, pushing her thick black rimmed glasses higher on her nose. "Well, you may want to let him know that a little more bluntly, because the sooner you do the sooner he can start looking toward the other available ladies in the studio."

* * *

Charlie flicked her wrist with the combination to her locker and threw her textbooks inside. She slammed the door shut with a metallic clank and reached into her back pocket for her vibrating cell phone. It was a text from Natalie - _"Meet me by the fountain after school."_

She typed out a quick reply, just saying that she would, not bothering to ask what it was about. Charlie wasn't in much of a hurry to get home after school anyway so whatever it was, it would be a nice distraction.

After getting the text from Owen in English yesterday, Charlie hadn't been able to concentrate during any of her classes, despite her efforts to start becoming a better student. There was a pop quiz in history that she should have aced but was pretty sure she didn't because all she could do was think about stupid Owen and stupid Lindsay having a great time together.

It didn't help that Owen and Lindsay had cut classes once again today. Charlie bit her lip. For such a brainiac, Lindsay sure did miss a lot of school.

Charlie sighed. Only two more classes until the end of the day. She hitched her backpack over her shoulder and headed down the main hallway to the staircase. There was a small group of girls gathered at the foot of the stairs, huddling around a cell phone and giggling. Charlie recognized one of the girls as Emma Hammond, Lindsay's best friend.

Charlie slowed her pace as she took the stairs up, craning her neck to see the cell phone as she walked by. Snooping on a random girl's phone wasn't really her style, but she was just feeling off today.

Her eyes widened as she caught a glance of the screen as it was being passed between two of the girls. It was a picture. Of Owen. Kissing Lindsay.

* * *

Gabe hauled his suitcase down the three flights of stairs to the lobby of his apartment building. The elevator has had an Out of Order sign for nearly two weeks, but Gabe was pretty sure the super was just too lazy to do anything about it.

He'd finished his haphazard packing and was on his way to the airport to catch his flight to New York. It had been the cheapest ticket option to get two connecting flights on his way to Kenya. It would take longer to get to Amanda, but he hoped it would be worth it.

When he was finally outside, he threw his suitcase into the backseat of his junker and tossed his plane ticket onto the passenger seat. He fumbled with his keys because his fingers were shaking with nervousness and excitement.

As he merged onto the highway, he made a mental note to send his parents a message before the plane took off. It would probably be a good idea to let them know that he'd be on a different continent.

"Okay," Gabe said, exhaling slowly. "Amanda, I know I screwed up. I know I let you down. But I am so, so sorry and if I could take that entire night back, just know that I would."

He stopped talking as tears pricked behind his eyes. Images from the night he ruined everything burned hot in his mind.

He and Jake were huddled in front of the computer, drunk, unaware that Amanda was right outside the room. They had each downed four beers by this point, and their sentences slurred together sloppily.

"Go for it, man," Jake said, laughing. He pushed the mouse connected to the laptop toward Gabe's sweaty palm. "She'll never know, and it's not like it's a big deal anyway. You're not doing anything wrong."

Gabe hesitated, but finally put his hand on the mouse and clicked on the link Jake was urging him to open. "What do I do now?" Gabe asked, his head swimming in the euphoria of alcohol.

Jake pointed to the picture of a pretty woman on the screen. "Just click her picture and an email will open. Say you liked her profile," Jake instructed, downing the last of his beer with a burp.

"But I didn't like her profile, dude. I only looked at it cause you told me to."

Jake exhaled loudly. "Gabe, man. You and Amanda are meant to be together, I get it. But come on. You're going to be a monogamous man for the rest of your life. And while Amanda's in Africa you might as well have someone to keep you company," Jake said. "She'll never know. Just break it off with this chick after you bang her a couple times, and when Amanda gets back you can go back to being the perfect, whipped boyfriend that you are."

_Whipped. _Gabe had always hated that word. He didn't want to be bossed around by a woman. He was the man. He should make his own decisions and be able to be with whoever he wanted while his girlfriend was off doing God-knows-what with God-knows-who.

"Okay," Gabe said, his words tumbling out in a drunken mess. "I'm gonna tell this chick that we're gonna bang like a hundred times while I'm a free man."

"Alright!" Jake said, laughing too loudly. "I'm so glad I got through to you, man!"

Amanda, who had gotten home early from the musical she and her sister went to see, stood outside the doorway, a silent tear rolling down her cheek. She didn't think things would ever be the same again.

* * *

"What's this about?" Charlie asked as she met Natalie by the big fountain in front of the school. Natalie was sitting in the edge, her maxi dress bunched up to her knees. The beginning of June heat was kicking in, and with only two weeks of school left, summer was wide open.

Natalie tossed her dark hair over her shoulder, her eyes glistening in the sun as they met Charlie's. "I think we both know that Owen and Lindsay is not a good idea," she began. "Especially since you're madly in love with him."

Charlie blushed. She joined Natalie on the edge of the fountain and let out a long sigh. "Continue," Charlie said, letting her flip flops dangle off her toes.

"Well, I think we need to figure out exactly what's going on with them and then figure out a way to stop it."

Charlie smirked as little beads of moisture from the fountain behind them formed tiny pictures on the cement ledge. "So, your plan is to think of a plan? Brilliant."

Natalie shoved Charlie's shoulder playfully with her perfectly manicured hand. "Oh, like you have any better ideas?"

"Not really," she shrugged, bringing her thumbnail to her mouth. "And besides, it doesn't matter anyway. We're already lost him to the dark side."

"What do you mean?" Natalie asked, her face falling to a concerned frown.

Taking a deep breath, Charlie recounted seeing Lindsay's best friend's cell phone and the picture of Owen kissing Lindsay. She felt her cheeks getting hot, which had always been the first sign she was about to cry.

Natalie was silent. She smoothed down the skirt of her dress back to her ankles. "He kissed her? They've only known each other for two freaking days!" Natalie exploded, jumping off the fountain. The nearby student council members, whose meetings always took place outside toward the end of the year, stared at her pointedly. "Sorry," Natalie said to them, more quietly. She grabbed Charlie's hand and yanked her away.

* * *

Amy hummed to herself as she put away the clean dishes. It was almost six o'clock, dinner time in the Duncan household. Toby was upstairs finishing his math homework and Bob would be home any minute. Amy still had no idea if Charlie would be joining them for dinner.

"Hi sweetie," Bob said as he entered the kitchen through the door from the garage. He sat down at the table and unlaced his work boots.

"How was work today?" Amy asked, standing behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders. She could feel how tense he was, and it worried her.

Bob sighed deeply, rubbing his left temple. "It was terrible. Alvin quit."

Amy's jaw dropped. "What?" She pulled out the chair beside her husband and pulled his hands into her lap. "What do you mean Alvin quit? That worthless sack hasn't done his job in months, and he just had the nerve to _quit _on you?"

"Well, he did. And there's nothing I can do about it, but I don't think I can handle this all on my own." Bob closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, his frustration coming to a peak. He was getting to old for this job, and he knew it. He was just getting too old. "I think it might be time to close up shop."

For once, Amy didn't know what to say. All she could do was hold Bob's hands firmly, waiting to hear what he would say next.

"I think I'll skip dinner tonight if you don't mind, honey. I'll see you later." Bob planted a kiss on the top of her head, grabbed his work boots, and left through the garage door.

Amy watched the door where her husband was just standing, and thought that nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

**Well, it's been way too long. I'll skip the excuses. Did you notice the echo in the stories of Amanda and Amy? I had a purpose for it, it's not that I couldn't think of another phrase. Anyway, let me know what you think!**


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